Under the Mistletoe
by shadow sweeper
Summary: Sheng Gong Wu Dormant Time begins, and Master Fung is allowing friends and family of the monks to vist for the holidays. Plus, Kimiko becomes more anxious for something she wishes the Dragon of the Wind would give her...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Dormant Time

Dear Keiko,

Things are going fine here at the temple. Being a monk gets hard though. Especially when you're the only girl to knock some sense into those guys. I don't know who's more clueless about girls: Rai or Omi? Oh well. They're just boys. It makes me wonder if boys have brains! (Or at least, something that resembles one.)

There's a new bad guy named Hannibal Roy Bean. He's been bugging us for a few months now. This bean is so horrible, even Chase and Wuya eased the 'rule the world' thing for a while. Jack? That whiny baby will always be easy to defeat! He tries, but will always fail. You'd think he'd give up by now.

You still don't believe me about our cool powers? I'll totally prove it to you when you get to the temple! Don't worry, I won't send your butt on fire.

You'll like my friends here at the temple. Here are some tips: Clay's Texas sayings can be very confusing. Just nod your head and pretend you understand. If you don't like doing that, just wait after that awkward silence and an explanation will hopefully follow. Don't be surprised if Omi can't do slang right. After all he's been stuck at this temple forever! You don't need to worry about correcting him. That's Raimundo's job. Beware of Rai's pranks! Other than his pranks, I think you'll like Rai.

Well, Keiko, that pretty much wraps it up. See you at the Christmas party over here!

Kimiko

P.S. Spelled Xiaolin, not 'Shoulin'.

Kimiko tapped the send button and took a deep breath. Only one more day till the Christmas get together! Master Fung was allowing the monks to invite their families over for the holidays. He said around this time Sheng Gong Wu went remained dormant or went back to being dormant. Dojo was somewhat relieved.

"Who says it was fun baby sitting you all?" the green serpent had said. "What's even worse, after Dormant Time, a burst of Sheng Gong Wu will start activating!"

The monks talked only of friends and family for weeks. Training hours turned into what seemed to be ages. Thoughts of snow crept into their minds, but were dismissed. Chances of snow were very little. When Kimiko checked the weather online, predictions told just of high winds and possibly hail. So instead of white fluffy snow, they would get hard and stony hail? At least Dojo could take a break from flying them everywhere. Another reason to be grateful of Sheng Gong Wu dormant season. Wonderful, eh?

"Kimiko!"

It was Omi. Apparently, he was too busy stuffing himself with food to come and get her. She could tell by the way his voice sounded muffled.

"It is time for dinner!"

The Dragon of Fire placed her hand on the computer mouse and clicked exit. After shutting down the computer, Kimiko headed down the hall to where the Xiaolin Dragons were eating. Clay, Omi, and Raimundo were already almost done with their noodles. They ate the remains ravenously, ending with Clay's earth-shaking burp. Only Kimiko's bowl was left untouched (surprisingly).

"Ye gonna eat that Kimiko?" Clay asked. "I mean, you don' wanna eat something cold, do ye? You could lemme eat it for ye."

Kimiko shook her head. She didn't really feel hungry any more.

"Nah, you go ahead, Cowboy. I think I've seen enough food for the night. I'll snack on something else later."

Everything was silent except for the winds sweeping out on the temple grounds. Trees swayed carelessly from side to side due to the force. It was always windy at night like this ever since December began. It made Raimundo wonder why it didn't snow.

The brunette stayed up that night, too excited about the Christmas get-together. He'd met all his friends' family, minus Omi's. It was his family he was excited to see. A whole year had passed without seeing his circus kin. Raimundo missed all his little brothers and sisters, and most importantly his mother, Juanita Pedrosa. She was the single mother of all seventeen children. Before his father "mysteriously disappeared" and he came to the temple, Juanita depended on Raimundo to help take care of the other sixteen siblings, being the oldest.

After wondering around the temple, the Dragon of the Wind eventually got bored. Maybe he should try to go back to sleep. After all, it was one o'clock in the morning. All family and friends wouldn't be coming till hours later. So, Raimundo returned to his so-called room and tried to get to sleep. Unfortunately, the excitement and Clay's snoring didn't help. Even his little teddy bear, Ninja Fred, couldn't put him to rest. Maybe he should check on Kimiko.

Check on Kim? Why did the thought seem so casual to him? It's not like he liked her, right?

It apparently was going to be a very, very long night. Well actually, a very long early morning.

---

And to think, this only took five days. This is my first fic, so if you think it sounds a bit cheesy, don't hate, appreciate! (That's a saying my cousin says a lot.) Any ways, as you experienced authors put it, please R&R! That's how you put it, right? Oh yeah. If you were wondering about Ninja Fred, Raimundo said he named his teddy bear that in "The Dream Stalker" episode.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Welcome Friends and Family

Finally, Raimundo fell asleep. Of course, nobody can sleep without dreaming or having nightmares, right? Don't worry; it was a dream, and no nightmares or invasions from Hannibal Bean. But in this dream, a small friend from within had brought the Dragon of the Wind…

"_Ooh… Huh?"_

_Still clutching Ninja Fred, Raimundo got up. He knew he was in a dream. The same nauseous filled the air the last time he had been here. Hmm… The last time he'd been here Raimundo met his inner-self. _

_A small figure approached him with echoing footsteps. The small boy carried an identical teddy bear of Raimundo. He had green overalls and a cute little red tie. Raimundo had forgotten how innocent he had looked as a small child. When looking at his younger version, no one could have possibly believed he had ever done a prank in his life. _

"_Hello, Raimundo," said his smaller version. "I don't like being by my self a lot. You know… I get scared. So, I was wondering if you would play with me until you wake up."_

_Raimundo looked at his inner self. Oh, no, he was making the puppy eyes! Even the Dragon of the Wind couldn't resist the puppy eyes, let alone the puppy eyes done by no one other than himself. So he smiled and nodded his head. The boy yipped in glee._

"_Hooray! Follow me! There's a new game in your mind's arcade!" _

_Grabbing Raimundo by his collar, the two made there way off toward the imaginary arcade. Hey, as long as it was an arcade Rai was happy. And by the way his inner-self was dragging his "outer-self", he was pretty happy about it too._

"Raimundo, Raimundo!" called Omi. "Our first visitor had arrived!"

Quickly getting himself dressed in the traditional Chinese robes, Raimundo ran to where the others were. Everyone except Master Fung had his or her mouths gaping at the sight. Judging by the size of the jet, it was probably Kimiko's father, Mr. Tomohiko himself. Kimiko ran up to her dad for a hug.

"Konitchiwa!" they greeted to one another.

"Ah, Kimiko! I have brought your friends along with me so their parents wouldn't have to. You know how busy they can be."

"Yes, Papa," Kimiko stated. "Oh my gosh, _Keiko!_"

Filled with excitement, Keiko ran up to her friend and screamed in joy. ("We talked about the screaming, Keiko," Kimiko said.) She was also Japanese like Kimiko, but with the traditional brown eyes of most people in Asia. Her shiny black hair was in a ponytail similar to Kimiko's pigtails. Keiko wore a bright yellow shirt with a pink skirt and a light pink scarf around her neck to match. The shoes she wore obviously were made to match the color theme with the pink flower on the yellow.

"Oh my _gosh!_" Keiko said putting a slight pause between each word. "Kimiko, I don't know what you are wearing, but it is so good to see you!"

She glanced over Kimiko's shoulder to look at the other monks. Her smile grew wider. It only made the boys feel more awkward around the reunion of the two friends. "Oh wow! I think I'm gonna like your friends. That reminds me, I brought Rose and Vivian with me! They said they just _had_ to come."

Two other girls came out of the jet; one American, the other Japanese. As the girls talked and chattered, Clay heard a familiar voice call. "Hey, ye big tub o' lard! Aren't ye gonna say hello to yer lil' sister?"

"Jessie?"

Clay turned and saw his little sister wearing the black cowgirl uniform of The Black Vipers. Other girls of the gang stood around their leader looking about the temple. In Jessie's left hand, she held the Wings of Hannabi. Clay thanked his sister for the return of the Sheng Gong Wu.

"No big deal, bro. Ma and Pa said I might hurt myself flyin' the thing all the time." A friend who was also in The Black Vipers tapped Jessie on the shoulder. "And you did get hurt," she reminded. "Remember? You were flyin' round' with that thing and you headed straight for that tree in Old Man Nug's yard and—"

"Okay, I get it! Oh yeah. Uh, Clay Granny's here. Less' ye wanna pinchin' I recommend hidin' to save yerself!"

Omi looked up at Raimundo. "Isn't Clay's Grandmother his worst fear? It appeared like an injured finger when fighting for the Shadow of Fear!"

Raimundo sighed and answered. "First of all little dude, it's 'stuck out like a sore thumb'. And yes, but I mean, his Grandma can't actually be that bad, right?"

They were about find out after a voice called to Clay. "Oh, Clay-EEEEEEE!"

All turned to see an old woman wearing an old and tattered pink dress. The color was faded, but Clay's grandma was full of enough life for him and his sister. In the end, Raimundo was wrong about Clay's grandmother not being as bad as the worst fear version.

"Clay, Jessie, you two better get over here an' hug yer Granny!" shouted his father. "She looks a bit… Well, ye know."

Muttering under their breaths begs of mercy, Clay and Jessie went to get pinched on the cheek and smothered over from their grandmother

Raimundo and Omi remained alongside Master Fung, Dojo on his shoulder. Omi looked around him, gazing at the diversity of the many people in the temple. He was perfectly content, being that Master Fung was like a father to him. Rai was gazing too, but at the temple entrance where he hoped his family would pass through. Seeing no sign of them, Raimundo turned around to help carry the visitors' bags.

"Raimundo!" shouted a familiar Spanish accent. Raimundo turned back around not only to see his family smiling and waving at him; it was what looked like the whole entire circus was brought along.

"Ma!" he called back in joy. The brunette ran up to where his mother was standing. His little brothers and sisters already ran off to a slithering Dojo, pulling the dragon every which way. "Help!" mouthed the serpent.

"Hey, hey, squirts, you don't want to kill him do you?" Raimundo called. The small children perked their heads up at the sound of their big brother's voice. A stampede of sixteen toddlers rushed toward Raimundo who was trampled successfully. They all clung to Rai's legs, arms, and anywhere else to at least touch their brother. A small sister climbed upon his shoulder and sat. "Hi Wy-wy," she said in glee.

Struggling for some elbowroom, Raimundo tried calmly to say, "Okay, squirts, we've talked about the trampling and the hugging and the clinging!"

Kimiko and her friends giggled as they watched Raimundo escape the grasp of his family. Keiko tapped on her shoulder signaling to go get more space and air. When they finally moved, all four girls burst out into laughter.

"Kimiko, I am going to _love_ your boyfriend!" Vivi stated. "It's fun to watch him struggle, and he is just so _hot!_"

Kimiko stopped laughing. As she did, so did her friends. "Now hold on," she put in, "Raimundo is _not_ my boyfriend. That would be so…"

The Dragon of Fire thought to find the word. Before she could, Rose giggled again. "Well, do you _like_ him?"

Kim blushed and tried to make an excuse, but before a word could be spoken from her mouth, Master Fung spoke. Dojo was back on his place on the shoulder. "Welcome, friends and family!" Master Fung began.

"We are all grateful that you could make it. It has been awhile since we had visitors to our Xiaolin Temple. Please; your sons or daughter will escort you to your rooms."

The four Dragons exchanged looks. Master Fung saw this and sighed. "Very well. Sleeping areas."

"Yo, Rai, shouldn't there be beds?" asked Trent, one of Raimundo's friends. "Though it's a lot more comfy then the cots back in the circus tents."

"Come to think of it, I haven't been back at Sea Breeze for a long time," Raimundo said aloud. "It was as if it were yesterday I wore that hoodie…"

Marco, another one of his friends snorted. "Yeah. But then you just had to help plunge the world in the hands of evil! _Aiy Corrumba!_"

Rai was taken aback. "How did you know that?"

"Hey, even though she appears to be a crazy old hag, Lunesta can sometimes be right about what she see 'in the great beyond'. She also said that there would be 'great fortune in your future," Marco said mimicking Lunesta's heavy, heavy accent. Raimundo was about to ask about his "great fortune", but Trent tossed a shiny guitar to Raimundo.

"Wowi! My guitar! I must've left it back at the circus!" Raimundo exclaimed. His friends laughed.

"That's because you did, _El Stupido!_ Besides, everyone in Brazil knows that you sing the best. That's why you have that fan club!"

Rai shivered at the thought of the club.

"Yeah," Marco continued, pulling out his drumsticks, "so how bout' a tune for the holidays, eh?"

The boys laughed and sang for the rest of the day.

--

So how about that? Did you guys like their friends and family? Please R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Catching Up With Scales and Life 

For the next few days, the monks and their visitors relaxed and toured the temple. Raimundo, Trent, and Marco regularly went back to the "room" and secretly practiced a few songs that they would play when Christmas came. In Clay's section of the temple, they were still unpacking their things, being that Jessie had all members of The Black Vipers come along. Though alone, Omi enjoyed being in his part by himself so he could then study the art of… slang. Kimiko and her friends were just chilling out, being girls that they were.

In her "room", Keiko and Rose were online, looking for new styles and hairdos. Vivian was the bookworm; currently reading a little bit of info on kung fu to learn more about Kimiko's new way of life. She looked up from her book and placed a yellow bookmark to mark her page. Where was Kimiko? Earlier her monk-friend was here, looking through some old magazines. Kimiko then said she was going to take a walk outside. Looking at her wristwatch, Vivian saw that it was twenty till' three. Kimiko had left an hour a go. The temple was pretty small by what Vivian saw, so why was Kimiko taking such a long time? Careful not to disturb her web-surfing friends, Vivian snuck out the "room" to look for her friend.

--

Kimiko threw another rock into the stream of the meditation garden. She didn't intend to skip the stone; she just wanted to throw the rocks in. Ever since her friends had mentioned her having a crush on Raimundo, it was the first time the Dragon of Fire took it consciously and pondered it. Her intentions told her that Kimiko merely "liked" Raimundo, but could that have turned into love?

The Japanese girl was about to through another stone when someone called out to her. Turning around, Kimiko saw Vivian running toward her. Finally reaching destination, Vivian put her hands on her knees and panted. After the pant, Vivian looked at Kimiko and asked, "Why are you out here?"

"I guess I was waiting for someone to ask that…" Kimiko replied. "I just don't know why."

--

Once again, Raimundo strummed his fingers across the strings of his guitar. He was testing to see if his instrument was properly in tune. Let's see now… C chord, D chord, E chord… twang! While tuning his guitar, Marco for some reason was trying to make fire by rubbing his drumsticks.

"Dude, why in the name of Dashi are you trying to make fire?" Raimundo asked. "Besides, if you did, they'd be no part of the temple burned to the ground, knowing you."

"Well, Rai, who's Dashi?" Trent answered as Marco opened his mouth.

"Well, he's the Grand Master guy who made all the Sheng Gong Wu, which is kinda why I'm here…" snickers came from his friends. "You still don't believe me, do you?"

The two other Brazilians nodded in agreement. They sure totally didn't believe Raimundo about the magic "doohickeys".

"Well, any way… what's been going on at the circus?"

Trent shrugged. "Nothing much," he replied.

"Yeah," added Marco. "Everyone's missing you though. All visitors that come to Sea Breeze miss you being in our act. And what's crazier, ever since you left, Lunesta's predictions actually come true!"

The friends all laughed. Maybe there was some hope in the crazy fortuneteller's crystal ball. Wait… So will the thing about Raimundo's "great fortune" really come true? _Nah_, Rai thought, _coming to the Xiaolin Temple is_ _the greatest fortune anyone could get_, right?

"Hey guys, it worked!" Marco exclaimed.

Trent looked at his friend as if he was crazy. (Which Marco sort of was.)

"What, you have finally grown a brain?"

"Nah, I made fire!" and so Marco showed his friends in an oddly proud manner the drumstick had a tiny flame. Suddenly, as if it were a firework, the whole stick burst aflame and reduced to ashes. Great, now they would have to buy him _another_ pair!

Raimundo and Trent sighed. Their odd friend sure hadn't changed since Rai left. Well, now he had just set the stick on fire. Last time in Brazil, Marco had set the circus tent on fire!

--

"Umph!" Clay exclaimed. "Careful where ye through yer bags!"

"It's not my fault! Ouch!" Jessie cried out. "Joseph is buckin' like a mule in water on the Fourth of July!"

Now it was Joseph, Clay's friend, who had to complain. "Well, if yer gang didn't have to fill up the plane like how my Great Uncle Bobby fills up durin' yer Auntie Lou's Thanksgivin' dinner, so many bags wouldn't be hittin' me in the head!"

"Why you _vermin!_"

"Well, yer the leader of the Black Vipers! You should be callin' _yerself_ a vermin!"

Clay shook his head and sighed. It's either Jessie and Joseph plainly hated each other, or they liked each other so much that it got violent. Even though Clay knew it could be so, Jessie and Joseph had such an age difference in between them. Jessie was twelve and his good buddy Joe was eighteen. Oh well. Clay guessed it was simply the way off life.

"Clay, what the heck are ye starin' at? Get yer big fat sister off a' me!" Joe shouted to break the trance. Clay looked to see Jessie starting to choke Joe with her lasso. Much really didn't change it Texas, did it?

--

"Ha! _I knew it!_" Keiko said triumphantly. "You really _do_ like the Brazilian kid! I don't blame you though; he's kinda cute."

The others nodded in agreement. Vivian searched in her pack and found the book she was looking for. She gave it to Kimiko.

"It's called _The Ancient Guides to Males_. I've heard there was one about girls, but that doesn't really matter. I think this book will cover anything that Rai guy might throw at you."

Kimiko smiled and placed the book gently in her lap. "Thanks, Vivi. But Rai is so unpredictable. One minute he's a prankster, the other he's actually acts normal with the rest of us. I mean, just because Christmas is coming up doesn't mean that he'll just think to say, 'I think I'll go out with Kim today.' Things just don't happen just like that!"

The girls giggled as Kimiko stared at them. What the heck was so funny?

"In case you hadn't noticed, Kim, but a lot of romantic stuff happens on Christmas!" Rose said. "All you need is some mistletoe and you'll be dating the Wind just like that! Besides, isn't there a Magic Xiaolin Thing that'll make him fall in love with you or anything?"

"Well, sorta. There's one that'll make someone obey you, but it'll make him look like a zombie. I totally don't want that. Plus, Master Fung doesn't have any Christmas decorations, so no mistletoe. Oh well. I guess I can't go and kiss Rai—"

"Now hold it right there, Kim!" Keiko exclaimed, as Kimiko was about to rush out the door. "You can't just live life normal, whatever normal is around here is, like you don't 'like' Raimundo; you gotta plan all the stops! Believe me, when you've had five boyfriends, you know these things." ("More like a hundred!" Rose muttered.)

"And your plan is?"

"You'll see!" and before any one could say any thing else, Keiko dashed off toward the jet Kimiko's father had owned. Did Keiko forget something? Kimiko shook her head and smiled. Just like in the old Tokyo days.

--

Omi looked through the scroll for a third time. It wasn't that he couldn't understand the language or anything; it was all in neat Chinese text. It was just the language. I know, I just said language wasn't the reason. Now I mean the form of words put together.

"Piece of cake? But that doesn't make any sense!" exclaimed Omi who was clearly frustrated. The reason of his sudden yearns for mastering slang now is because it seemed that his friends' families knew them so well. Unfortunately, Omi didn't have any family. Even though when he first met his "strange" foreign friends it didn't seem that he'd like them, inside at the time Omi was extremely overjoyed to see others come to the temple for the reason for what he had studied. They were like family, though not family.

"Hey there, my man! Uh, monk!" said Dojo as he slithered up the table on which the scrolls were being read. "What's crackin?'"

"I believe you are!" Omi said in surprise as a scale from Dojo fell off.

"Oh no, oh no, OH NOOOO!" Dojo said wide-eyed. The dragon was heard throughout the temple. Everybody had gathered to see all the commotion.

"What is it Do… Hobo?" asked Lola, a little sister of Raimundo.

"It's Dojo, sis," corrected her big brother.

"I'll tell you all what!" Dojo said in loud concern. "I-I-I'm—"

Everyone leaned closer to hear more clearly what Dojo had to say.

"I'm—"

"Say it, Dojo!" Kimiko screamed.

"I'M SHEDDING MY SKIN!"

All the excitement died down. Well, some since it was the first time most had heard the voice of a talking dragon. Maybe that was the exciting thing. So, it was all about some shedding thing snakes go through. Pathetic and uninteresting was the word in everyone's minds.

"Why's this so important to ye?" Clay asked.

"It happened to my uncle," Dojo replied. "He was about to shed when… when…"

The scaly dragon burst into tears and sobbed. "He died! To remember him, my family took off his old skin, and gave it to me! WHY COULDN'T THEY GIVE HIS SKIN TO CHUCK? WHY!"

Okay, maybe that was pretty exciting. But when Dojo pulled his uncle's old skin, well, let's say everybody had something "important" to do.

--

Well, what do you think? Thank you for everyone who reviewed and Faith Lang for telling me Brazilian people speak Portuguese! Uh… Maybe Rai's buddies are from Mexico and speak Latin American? Any way, R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Discoveries

Night had a feeling of unwelcome-ness with hail falling from the dark skies. The crashes of balls of ice the sizes of ping-pong balls could be heard from inside the temple. Everyone in the temple was surprised they didn't make dents in the roofs and walls. So in all the noise, the monks, friends, and family tried to get some sleep. All of Raimundo's circus friends had taken cover indoors as the blue Sea Breeze tent lie folded neatly on a table. It was slightly crowded as all the circus people slept.

Kimiko turned over in bed. Would this hail ever stop? The noise could just deafen her if one notch louder. She could hear Clay snoring, something smelled odd, and even more sound came from Raimundo's cubical. The Dragon of Fire understood Raimundo's need for loudness, but what was that smell?

Careful not to disturb her friends, Kimiko quietly crept out and looked down the hall of the temple. _Ugh!_ That horrid smell! Looking to the left, it was confirmed that Clay was not the problem. His room was to the right. The floor creaked as Kimiko walked barefoot to the left hall and she found herself in the main hall. Though lifeless, the Xiaolin Dragon symbol on the golden gong seemed to watch her with its blank eyes.

The Japanese girl dismissed the thought that the Xiaolin Dragon was actually staring at her. After all, she came to find out what the funny smell was. There was a sudden crash behind her. Kimiko turned to see Dojo, back turned to her. In the dark, she could see the faint line of the dragon holding his uncle's shed skin and placing it in some kind of container.

"Dojo, what are you doing?" she asked. "It's like… midnight."

"I should ask you the same," Dojo replied. "I am putting my uncle's skin into this container. Hopefully, the stuff inside will preserve it."

"Oh. Never mind why I'm here, I think I found out what I was looking for. And Dojo, that's Clay's bottle of steak sauce. It'll just make that thing smell worse. Ugh!"

--

The day consisted of even more hail. Due to the weather, everyone couldn't step a foot outside without getting hit by a chunk of ice. Then, only Omi could face the weather and go outside without injury (or at least not many injuries). So, he was asked to retrieve some Sheng Gong Wu from the vault all the way across the temple court. Thought very compliant, the Dragon of Water grumbled and went into Wudai form to retrieve their training items.

"Now we can finally prove to you guys these things actually work!" Raimundo said triumphantly.

Dojo "stepped" in. "Not so fast! Remember, it's Sheng Gong Wu Dormant Time! All of them immediately go dormant the second this time of year starts!"

"Then why did Master Fung ask Omi to get them?"

"He said you were going to learn how to use them without actually using them."

When Omi came back, hands were full with all the Sheng Gong Wu and the Wudai weapons. Master Fung took the Serpent's Tail and put it in his hands.

"As you know, all of our Sheng Gong Wu have gone dormant," he began. "The Serpent's Tail has now obviously gone useless. But it has not gone completely useless."

Taking hold of the end of the Tail, the front end with the point on the spiral stuck out, sharp and pointy.

"You must now rely on the physical appearance of the Wu. Your Wudai weapons will still work, but the Wudai Dormant Time will be coming shortly after the Sheng Gong Wu reactivate. Since they are not very dangerous now, I will allow your friends to join training. Just put on these robes, and you all can begin."

--

Training went pretty well, except for Keiko who protested against wearing the robes. She said that it just wasn't her style.

Afterward, they all took showers, ate dinner and dressed for bed. Training had been hard and long.

And again, hail remained to pound against the roof of the temple. Would it ever stop?

No smell, that was good. Dojo must have found a place to put the skin. In fact, it wasn't too hard to find. Dojo always left a trial of dead scales, always gray of color. If Juanita, Raimundo's mom, ever came across the path of discarded "things", she would always whip out a broom and sweep the scales away. She felt like it would erase the memory of the smell.

Now Kimiko was disturbed from sleep because of Raimundo's loud noise. It made her wonder if that would end, too. So once again, Kimiko left her room without a sound and crept out. She knocked on Rai's door and the noise ended immediately. A small crash came from inside. What were those boys up to?

"Can I come in?" she shouted against the loud hail.

"Uh, yeah," replied Raimundo. Kim heard a quick "Stash them, quick!" from inside and the door opened to a very odd looking room, even for Raimundo. The bed looked a bit lumpy, Marco was blocking something from view under Rai's desk, Trent was sitting on something blanket-covered, and Raimundo was panting wildly.

"Is everything all right? You guys make noise in here every single night ever since you made it to the temple. Does the circus even allow it?"

"Err, sure!"

"So can I come in?"

Raimundo glanced nervously at his friends and back to Kimiko.

"Sure!"

Hesitating to let her in, Raimundo moved out of the way of the door and allowed Kimiko to come in. Those boys were hiding something, and she was there to find out! It was already obvious that they didn't want her to see anything, so she was just going to have to make them.

"Okay, what are you guys hiding?" she demanded. "You all have been making some kinda noise each night, and I want to know what!"

"We can't tell you," Trent put in quickly. "It's nothing, really."

"If it's nothing, why don't you tell me?"

"'Cause we can't."

"Yes you can."

"Can't."

"Can!"

"Can't!"

Annoyed by the quarreling, Raimundo yelled at the two to grab attention. "SHUT UP!"

All went silent except for the pattering of hail.

"Okay," Raimundo started. "Me, Trent, and Marco are planning to do a special song when Christmas gets here. Since it's a surprise, we can't tell anyone. Even Ma doesn't know. So, promise you won't tell?"

Kimiko looked straight into Raimundo's eyes. She stared into his sweet, forest green eyes. How could anyone say no?

"Alright."

"Thank goodness! Though, come to think of it, we don't have a singer. Would you mind?"

--

Well, that's it. Thank you, Kosmic, for reviewing! Now, as you know, Raimundo, Kimiko, and the rest of the guys are going to sing. The thing is, I don't even know what songs they are going to sing. So what I want you to do is suggest some Christmas songs. Remember to state the name, and if possible, some lyrics. The song will appear in the next and final chapter of Under the Mistletoe! R&R!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Day to Remember

Disclaimer: As you all know, I do not own Xiaolin Showdown. Wish I did, but I don't. I also don't own any of the Christmas songs in this chapter.

For the next few days, Kimiko could do nothing but smile. Keiko did ask why she smiled so much, but Kimiko always answered, "It's a secret!" Then Kimiko would walk away feeling very, very upbeat. Her friends could only watch in bewilderment and shock of Kimiko's mood change.

Practices for the band were always in Raimundo's room. Since Kimiko goes there often, she finds herself more adapted to being around guys that weren't as bright, somewhat including Raimundo. At first, she was a little shy about singing out loud. In fact, Kim couldn't sing very well when she did sing! So in response, Raimundo and his friends had Kimiko come to his room for double time practice. Now Kimiko could sing like an angel. "We could give you harp and there would be an exact resemblance!" Trent had complimented. The Dragon of Fire was very flattered at this statement, but she did wish that Raimundo had said that. Well, he would if he wasn't doing "something."

The hail? Surprisingly, it stopped almost dramatically. Remains of the harsh weather were now in ruin on the temple grounds. Raimundo's circus folk could now set up the tent and live in more peace than when in the Xiaolin Temple. To top the hail stopping, how bout' some snow starting?

--

"Kim, I wanna show you something!"

"What is it? Let me guess, you got a new hair dye? What color?"

"No, silly! It's a surprise, so close your eyes!"

"Alright, Keiko."

Checking to see if Kimiko was truly covering her eyes, Keiko pulled on Kim's arm and led her to the Xiaolin Temple's main hall. She told her friend to have her eyes remained close, and ran toward the spot the moon would be that night. Looking behind her to check on Kimiko, Keiko pulled out a green plant with white berries from her pocket and hung it there. Hopefully, for now, this would be out of Kimiko's sight.

"Okay, Kim! You can open your eyes now!"

Anxious to know what was to see, Kimiko opened her eyes quickly. What she saw was the most decorated grand hall the Dragon of Fire had seen throughout life in the temple. Keiko, with Master Fung's permission, had a lush, green plant spiraling down from every pillar, each plant having red, blooming flowers. The temple's gong (the gong with the swirling dragon) had been refreshed with a nicer and newer border. Tables had been added to the grand hall, and a candle on top of each.

"Wow, Keiko, did _you_ do all of this?" Kimiko asked in surprise. "'Cause you did a heck of a good job!"

Keiko laughed. "Course not. To help me decorate, Rose, Vivian, and even the dragon, Dojo. Vivi set up the tables, Rose helped put on the border, and Dojo helped me put the plants on the pillars. Oh, and your dad lent us the decorations. He would've brought the tree, but we couldn't find a place to fit it in the jet. It took us hours to do all this!"

Kimiko nodded. "It looks like it could take hours. And all for tonight!"

For the rest of the afternoon, the two girls accompanied there other friends and chattered about the night.

--

Kimiko took a deep breath. This was the moment to get on stage and sing. To sing out loud… in front of crowd… Man, it was going to be a _really_ big crowd! Noticing his friend's sudden queasy-ness, Raimundo got a cold glass of water and gave to Kimiko. Finally getting her nerve back, Kimiko face Raimundo and asked, "Don't you ever get a queasy and nervous feeling when going on stage?"

The Dragon of the Wind nodded. "Yeah. Though when we perform, it's fun and you realize that you end up doing it to make people happy. That's how it always was in the circus. You'll do fine. Just take a deep breath. Wait, no, a lot of deep breaths! We're going out now!"

It did take some persuading to get Kimiko out in the spot light, but the boys managed to get her there. They all took position, and Rai stepped out to the mike and told every one about the first song.

"…Now, this first song is dedicated to all my little bros and sisters. They can be very annoying and sometimes they are always, and they need to learn how to be good boys and girls. Am I right?"

The little boys and girls blushed.

"Any way, if you want Santa to come, you big lot, better be good, cause Santa Claus is comin' to town!"

They all started to play the music. Kimiko all of a sudden felt that the room was really hot. Was it the lights, or because she was the Dragon of Fire? Neither. It was just she was about to sing a song… Out loud! Taking another deep breath, Kimiko began to sing.

"_Santa Claus is coming to town,"_ she sang. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

--

After singing _Let it Snow_ and other festive songs like _Feliz Navida_, it was time to sing the last song.

"Tonight our last song will be _Hey Santa_ by Wilson Phillips," Kimiko announced. "We thank you all for listening to the band."

Marco started the beat on his drums. She swayed to the music and Kimiko started to sing.

"If every day was Christmas, if we all could make believe, if everyone could give a little more—"

Raimundo then joined Kimiko. _"There'd be harmony."_

-Interruption: This'll be brief, folks. Since I don't want to go through all the trouble of going "he said," and, "she said," all the time, I'm just going to list the song. You may now continue your "listening".

_The city is covered in snow tonight_

_The children are fast asleep_

_I'm waiting for him_

_But he's no where in sight_

_And I wonder if he can hear me_

_Hey Santa _

_Hey Santa (Santa)_

_I wish with all my might_

_Hey Santa (Santa)_

_Bring my baby home tonight_

_Why does it feel like it's colder than winter_

_Even by the fireside_

_My baby said that he'd be home for Christmas_

_And now it's almost midnight_

_Christmas lights up and down the street_

_Are such a sight to see_

_But all the presents by the tree_

_They don't mean a thing 'til he's with me_

_Hey Santa _

_Hey Santa (Santa)_

_I wish with all my might_

_Hey Santa _

_Hey Santa (Santa)_

_If you hear me wont you hurry bring my baby tonight _

_I know your sleigh is full inside_

_But wont you stop and give my baby a ride_

_I'll be waiting by candle light this Christmas_

_Ohhh_

_Christmas lights up and down the street_

_Are such a sight to see_

_But all the presents by the tree_

_They don't mean a thing, Santa, please here me_

_Hey Santa _

_Hey Santa (Santa)_

_I wish with all my might_

_Hey Santa _

_Hey Santa (Santa)_

_If you hear me wont you hurry bring my baby tonight_

_Christmas lights up and down the street_

_Presents by the tree_

_I hear a knock _

_Oh, can it be_

_My wish is staring back at me_

_Hey Santa _

_Hey Santa (Santa)_

_I guess you heard me tonight, yeah_

_Hey Santa _

_Hey Santa (Santa)_

_I'm underneath the mistletoe with my baby tonight _

_Sleigh ride, sleigh ride, sleigh ride, sleigh ride_

_It's Christmas Time_

_Hey Santa_

Applauds and whistles followed shortly after the song.

--

"Now what, Keiko? You gotta stop pulling me every where, my stomach is so full that I can barely walk!"

"Oh, it's nothing Kim, I just want you to stand right—not there— here!"

Keiko stepped back to observe the scene she had created. Moonlight? Check! Mistletoe? Check! Kimiko? Check! Now, just to convince that boy Rai to come over here…

"Now stay right there, Kimiko, I'll—I mean, someone will be right back!"

Kimiko stared at her friend as why she was standing there left her confused. What was Keiko up to now? Lost in thought, Kimiko didn't notice Raimundo run up to her. She practically jumped when he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Whoa!" she cried out. Nobody but Raimundo heard her, for the hubbub in the hall was very noisy. Raimundo ignored the noise that was just screeched in his ear.

"Keiko said that you wanted to talk to me," he said.

"She did?'

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh."

Silence fell between them. Both of there eyes began to wander. Raimundo stared at his feet and Kimiko glanced up at the ceiling. Wait a sec… what was that small green thing on the ceiling? Was that… that… mistletoe?

Kimiko gasped. Keiko had set her up! She didn't know whether to be thankful of this given moment or shocked by Keiko's trickery. But it was mistletoe! The rules of it said… but Keiko… Raimundo… Oh, why?

As Raimundo looked back up at his fellow Dragon-in-training, it was quite strange to see Kimiko bang her fist against the wall in pondering.

"Err, Kim?"

The Dragon of Fire looked to Raimundo. Oh, was _that_ embarrassing. Well, was she going to kiss him or not? Wait, she couldn't just go along with her friend's plan, but she wanted this moment so much! This thinking only made her want to hit her head against the wall twice as hard as she did with her fist. The decision was made now. _Good luck_, Kimiko thought to herself. And keep in mind that Raimundo had no idea that the mistletoe was there.

--

Ten minutes had passed. Raimundo was yearning for some space, though he was enjoying the moment. Even so, he knew they had to get to bed sometime.

"Ermf, err merf!" was all he muffled out as he tried to speak. Getting the memo, Kimiko let go of the glorious moment. For a while, both were dazed and silent. Raimundo was first to speak.

"Kim, uh, why did you do that?" he said, not knowing what else to ask. Kimiko blushed and pointed to where the mistletoe hung from the ceiling.

"You didn't really tell me it was there."

This statement only made Kimiko blush even redder than her element should be. "You mean you didn't know?"

"Heck no! But because I'm ever so great, I'll give you time to make up some wacky excuse for that and then I'll just 'happen' to ask you out. That cool?''

"Y-y-yes."

"Well, see you tomorrow."

Now Kimiko didn't know whether to be embarrassed or extremely full of gratitude toward Raimundo or Keiko. She chose embarrassed.

--

Well, that's a wrap! If you listened to _Hey, Santa!_ By Wilson Phillips, you'd like it. Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions for a song and everybody who reviewed. You got to admit, not bad for a first fic, eh?


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